January 4, 2010 
source: boxofficemojo.com
James Cameron‘s Avatar has grossed more than $US1 billion worldwide in just seventeen days to become the fourth highest grossing film of all time.
Avatar has grossed $US352 million at the United States box office and a further $US666 million in the rest of the world. These combine for an impressive $US1.018 billion haul.
Only five films in history have crossed the magic billion dollar mark. These include The Dark Knight ($US1.001b), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($US1.066b), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($US1.119b) and Cameron’s previous film Titanic ($US1.842b).
Cameron is now the only director to have two films gross more than $US1 billion.
Although it is less likely that Avatar will topple Titanic’s massive haul, there is a good chance it could rise to 2nd place on the list of the all-time highest grossing films.
Avatar has also broken a couple of other records, claiming the biggest ever 2nd and 3rd weekends.
Meanwhile, at the Australian box office, Avatar has already grossed $AUS38 million in only two weeks. We are still waiting for the past week’s box office results to come in, but it is expected to have been ruled by Avatar also. The highest grossing film in Australian box office history is Titanic at $AUS58 million.
Perhaps most exciting about these hefty grosses is that we are closer to discovering just how much Avatar actually cost. Back in the days when box office prognosticators suggested Avatar might flop, it was also assumed that 20th Century Fox would keep the budget of the film at the reported $270 million (despite rumours of ballooning). Now that Avatar has made that figure several times over, perhaps Fox will want to brag by revealing the real budget – and pointing out how even that has been surpassed by Avatar’s grosses.
Check out my review of Avatar here.
Also, debate whether or not Avatar can win Best Picture at the Oscars here.
Discuss: Can Avatar topple Titanic?
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If motion picture is art and art is meant to move you, then Avatar must be high art indeed!I went to see Avatar in 3D and left the cinema feeling totally gob smacked! The last time I felt this way after a movie was the first time I saw the original Star Wars in 1977. That movie then set the new gold standard for the way movies could be made.James Cameron has redefined how cinema should look and feel with his effective combination of 3-D, motion capture and digital environments. He took us to Pandora and made us want to stay. I didn't want to leave. No other film I have seen this year made me feel this way.Although it does pay to contrast Avatar with my second favourite film of the year, "Moon". Both sci-fi films at the extreme ends of he budgetary spectrum. Moon works because of a very clever story line and great performance by Sam Rockwell. Both movies kept my partner and I thinking long after the credits had rolled, but it was Avatar that blew my mind. I'll be back for more to see what I missed on the first viewing.
Cameron really smacked one out of the park with this one. I haven't felt that child-like wonderment for years.